


Rewind It Back, Pay It Forward

by ruethereal



Series: Of Silly Magic Tricks, Unicorns, and Single Fatherhood [3]
Category: Merlin (BBC)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Humor, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-02
Updated: 2010-09-02
Packaged: 2017-10-11 09:57:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/111161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ruethereal/pseuds/ruethereal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From the same universe as <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/107911">What Two Pence Are Really Worth</a>: It's not that Arthur doesn't want to date...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rewind It Back, Pay It Forward

“Excuse me?”

“Don’t play deaf and dumb, Arthur,” Merlin mutters, leaning further across the table and toward the older man.  “You should date Gwen.”

Arthur’s eyes conspicuously shift from Merlin’s face to a spot somewhere above and past the brunette’s bony shoulder, and Merlin correctly guesses that the blond is appraising the bubbly barista at the counter.

“You have far too many strange hobbies, Merlin,” he says, not bothering to lower his voice.  “Doing magic tricks in the park, writing letters to a nine-year-old boy who lives down the road, setting up your coworker friend with a man you’ve only known for a few weeks.  That would be me, by the way, in case you weren’t keeping up.”

Merlin points an accusatory finger in Arthur’s face.

“Don’t get cheeky with me, Arthur Pendonkey,” he chides in spite of his grin.  “Oh, come on.  She’s great, and she never shuts up about you after you’ve left.”

Arthur drains his mug, sets it back on the table, then frowns down at it.

“It’s not that I don’t want to,” he starts.

Merlin rolls his eyes, sighing wearily, “Well then, what is it?”

It’s not that Arthur doesn’t want to date Gwen.  Arthur just doesn’t know how he’s managed to land himself in this strange, albeit pleasant, situation:

It’s been eighteen days since Arthur first met Merlin in the aforementioned park.  Merlin had been doing aforementioned magic tricks for Arthur’s son, Mordred, the aforementioned nine-year-old boy, while Arthur argued with his ex-wife, Morgana, over the phone.  Somehow, Merlin had settled the argument by conveniently stealing Arthur’s mobile mid-insult and deftly persuading Morgana to do as Arthur bid.  That same afternoon, Mordred “adopted” Merlin into their dysfunctional family.  Or rather, their dysfunctional kingdom, when Merlin fuelled the flames by naming Mordred a prince, Arthur a knight (eighteen days later, Arthur still believes he should be prince), and himself the court sorcerer.

It’s been fifteen days since Arthur called Merlin, as the younger man had conveniently given the older man his mobile number in aforementioned letters to his son, to invite him to their flat for dinner, wary of bothering Merlin since he is still in uni (fifteen days later, Arthur still won’t admit that he’d merely feigned bravado and nonchalance over the phone, a fact which Mordred took an eternity to forget).  That same evening, Merlin arrived with gifts: coins for Mordred—oh, how the boy has been seduced by magic—and the complementary “her” apron to Merlin’s “his” apron for Arthur—oh, how the older man wishes to make the younger man’s life a living hell for expecting him to wear a pink apron adorned with a baby-blue kitten.

It’s been twelve days since Mordred has returned to the flat with the silly idea of going to the zoo with Merlin.  It’s a _silly idea_ because the boy had already gone with his mother the previous weekend, and there can’t possibly be anything that warrants viewing again so soon (twelve days later, Arthur still hasn’t given either brunette a proper answer, despite being told by both that he, too, is welcome to accompany them).  That same night, Mordred demanded Arthur call Merlin to obtain the younger man’s work schedule—Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons, and Saturday mornings.

It’s been eleven days since Mordred demanded Arthur take him to Merlin’s café on the afternoons that he works to wait for the uni student to end his shift (eleven days later, Arthur still hasn’t managed to convince his son that 9 PM is too late for a child his age to stay out) so all three of them can walk home together.  It’s been ten days since Arthur twice submitted to his “prince” son’s demand.  It’s been eight days since Arthur thrice submitted to his “prince” son’s demand, and received a _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ poster from Merlin (eight days later, Arthur still refuses to admit that it is now taped to the wall beside his desk in his home office).

It’s been seven days since Arthur stayed at Merlin’s café by himself, having brought Mordred there for his usual white hot chocolate as they waited for Morgana to retrieve the boy for the weekend.  After the mother and son duo left, Merlin insisted Arthur stay for the rest of his shift so the younger man could repay him for the dinner from eight days before.  Arthur reluctantly agreed to a pint of beer, saying the gesture was appreciated but unnecessary, and spent the few remaining hours filling the daily crossword with “dragon” and “wizard” and “gryphon” wherever he could (seven days later, Arthur still won’t confess to having nothing better to do that day).  That afternoon, they each had three rounds of beer—all paid for by Merlin—and walked home, this time reaching Merlin’s flat before Arthur’s, laughing about “crown jewels,” “swords in stones,” and “bareback horse riding.”

It’s been five days since Mordred stole Arthur’s mobile to call Merlin with the hopes of conspiring to flee the flat and go to the zoo before it closed, just the two of them, but Merlin blamed his inability to accept Mordred’s quest on a hangover.  That same afternoon, when Arthur noticed the boy’s marked surliness, he discovered the phantom, seventeen-minute long phone call to the younger man.  Upon checking with Merlin, Arthur, in turn, apologized for Mordred’s selfish behavior (five days later, Arthur still reminds Merlin he’s a lightweight when the opportunity presents itself).

It’s been four days since Arthur and Mordred made their usual visit to the café, where Mordred apologized to Merlin himself, giving the amateur magician an American coin—the state of Alaska’s commemorative quarter because of the depicted bear—which Merlin gleefully accepted (four days later, Arthur still hasn’t told Merlin it was he who found the coin).  It’s been three days since Merlin’s flatmates, Lancelot and Will, joined Arthur and Mordred at their table.  The newcomers readily accepted the father and son into their band of brotherhood—Lancelot especially of Arthur, for the earnest, cinnamon-warm student is an aspiring corporate leader (three days later, Arthur still feels in awe of Lancelot’s genuine willingness to show respect).  It’s been one day since Merlin blithely suggested he take Mordred home so Arthur could stay with Gwen after the café closed.

It’s been one hour since Arthur first arrived at the café with Mordred to wait for Morgana.  It’s been twenty minutes since Mordred left with a forty minute late Morgana.  It’s been five minutes since Merlin took it upon himself to replace Mordred at Arthur’s table, if only to threaten to charge Arthur for his drink if he twice refused Gwen, to which Arthur responded by holding out a ten-pound note.

And now—

“_Well_?  Why not?” Merlin huffs, staring at his fingernails—the action Arthur has come to identify as the brunette’s way of sulking.  “And don’t give me some rubbish about not being ready to fish because you and Morgana are as impossible as the Crown winning Wimbledon ever again.”

It’s not that Arthur doesn’t want to date…

But he doesn’t answer—just stands and tucks the ten-pound note under the strap of Merlin’s apron.

“I’ll see you Tuesday, Merlin.”

**Author's Note:**

> So, where does Arthur go from here... &gt;:3


End file.
